Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Salvaged shipwreck

Under the cover (and safety) of darkness, Robin and an entire cast of characters from contractors to archeaologists to co-workers and volunteers (like me), helped move a 10-ton remnant of a shipwreck from the 1600s.

Robin's day started out at 5:30 a.m. to load the "vessel", a process which took about 12 hours.

To move the 17-foot wide load down a 22-foot wide state highway, they had to secure special permits and sheriff and police escorts. This was a task far safer to do in the middle of the night instead of during the crazed traffic of life on the Outer Banks during high season.

At midnight, we began the 90-mile, 15- to 35-mph journey down NC 12. Despite a police escort of 6+ vehicles and an entourage of paparazzi-like media (all more of a cluster than a help), we made it through a couple of torrential downpours to arrive safely at Hatteras Village around 4 a.m. We made it back to our house around 6 a.m., concluding Robin's 24-hour-plus workday.

See some of my photos.

See some great video and more from a local news station.

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